The Adventures of Merlin and Meghan
by NeverAgain03
Summary: Their destiny is to protect Prince Arthur but it's not the destiny they wanted. Merlin and his sister Meghan will face many perils when they arrive at Camelot. Can they protect the Prince from the dangers that threaten his life? More importantly, can they protect themselves?


**_Please read and review!  
I do not own Merlin, only Meghan._**

* * *

_No one, no matter how great, can know their destiny.  
They cannot glimpse their part in the great story that is about to unfold.  
Like everyone, they must live and learn.  
And so it will be for the young warlocks arriving at the gates of Camelot.  
A pair, that will in time, father a legend.  
Their names...Meghan and Merlin._

"Are we there yet?"

"NO!"

It was the eighth time that morning that Merlin had asked that question. And yet again Meghan answered with a resounding no.

The truth was that Meghan had no idea how far away Camelot was. Neither of the siblings had ever left their village of Ealdor and although their mother had given them a map of the lands, Meghan was certain they were lost. For almost two days they had been walking through forests yet they had still not reached the walls of Camelot.

"Maybe you should give me the map," Merlin yelled as he ducked under a large tree branch.

Meghan sighed. "Mother entrusted it to me. I _am_ the eldest child."

Merlin always hated when she brought that little fact up. It was true that Meghan had been born 3 minutes before Merlin and she made sure he never forgot it. Merlin hated being the 'baby' of the family. Although Meghan liked to tease him about it, she loved her brother dearly and he loved her. They were as close as siblings could be, spending almost all of their time together. They cared for each other and trusted each other with their lives.

The twins shared more than a birthday. They were very similar in appearance. Merlin was taller of the two but both had very dark hair, with Merlin's being short while Meghan's flowed down her back, ending around her waist. Their eyes were a stunning blue and both had rosy pink lips and high cheekbones. Their faces were ones you would not easily forget.

But they shared more in common than just looks. They both had a secret that only few knew about. They were both warlocks.

Most people had to study sorcery and magic for years before they became a strong sorcerer. However Meghan and Merlin were born with the magic running through their veins. It was part of them. They were born with it, not taught it. From early on it became obvious that they had magic in them. At only a month of age, Meghan had moved a vase across the room with her mind. As the siblings grew, their magic became more known. They could move objects with their mind or slow down time with only a golden flash of their eyes. But as magic had been banned many years before, they had to make sure no one ever found out that they were magic. If someone did, they would be killed.

Growing up with such an enormous secret to keep hidden meant they became detached from the community in their village. That is partly the reason for their departure to Camelot. Everyone in the small village knew the pair were outsiders. Their mother had feared that one day their suspicions would grow into accusations they couldn't refute. So with a heavy heart she had sent them off to Camelot, where she hoped they would grow into the great people she knew they would become.

"Meghan!" Merlin suddenly cried.

She hurried ahead, looking to what Merlin was pointing to. In the distance, she could see the tops of stone towers and the Camelot flags blowing in the wind.

She let out a breath of relief. "Finally."

They hurried their pace, both eager to reach the castle and rest their tired legs.

As they walked through the busy streets of Camelot, Meghan wondered what adventures they might have. After living in such a small village for all of their life, the huge city was a welcomed but intimidating change.

They looked around with wide eyes, watching as the people of Camelot went about their lives. They passed market stalls, a blacksmith hammering away; even a legendary knight of Camelot rode by upon a horse. The people lessened as they walk from the lower edge of town towards the castle. Meghan figured that the lower class people lived in the lower quarter of the city while the artisans and other people of middle class lived closer to the castle.

They made their way over a small wooden bridge that marked the entrance to the castle where they had been told Gaius lived. Both siblings were excited to be living in the castle where the royal family and noblemen lived. Meghan suddenly had a strange thought that they wouldn't let them into the castle because they were dressed like the people in the lower part of the city. Their village was not wealthy and so their clothes were very basic. Meghan looked down at the black trousers and red tunic she was wearing. She suddenly realised she had not seen another woman wearing trousers. Every woman was in a dress, not matter how frayed and torn. She hoped that she would not be made to wear one. She had never been able to stand wearing a dress, being much more comfortable in pants. No one had really commented on her dressing habits back home but she now realized how odd it was for a woman to dress like she had and that was why a few people were giving her such odd looks. They weren't giving Merlin odd looks as he was dressed like any other man; trousers, blue tunic and his favourite red neckerchief.

She put those thoughts aside as they strolled into the courtyard of the castle and saw a huge crowd gathered in the middle. Horns suddenly blasted through the air and drums began beating.

"What do you think is going on?" Meghan asked as they weaved their way through the crowd.

Merlin shook his head. "I don't know."

Everyone's attention suddenly turned to a man being led out towards a platform by two knights. A sickening feeling suddenly came over Meghan.

"Let this serve as a lesson to all."

All eyes snapped up to a balcony above the courtyard where a man stood, dressed in royal clothing. The King.

"This man, Thomas James Collins, is adjudged guilty of conspiring to use enchantments and magic."

Meghan's mouth fell open as the man was led up onto the platform. She knew magic had been banned on penalty of death but she couldn't believe that an execution was such a public event, that people actually came to see this.

"And pursuant to the laws of Camelot, I, Uther Pendragon, have decreed that such practices are banned on penalty of death. I pride myself as a fair and just king. But for the crime of sorcery, there is but one sentence I can pass."

With a nod from the king, the knight forced Thomas to his knees in front of a wooden block. The executioner came forward with his axe raised.

"No..." Meghan whispered. She turned her back and hugged Merlin tight as she heard the swish of an axe followed by a gruesome sound. The crowd around them gasped in shock as the man was murdered.

Merlin felt as shocked as Meghan as he averted his gaze from the man. He held his sister tight, wanting to make her feel better. They both knew death was the penalty for sorcery, but hearing about it and seeing it with your eyes were two very different things. Fear rippled through Merlin's body at the thought of being caught and sentenced to that fate. He realized that both of them were going to have to be extra cautious in this city.

"When I came to this land, this kingdom was mired in chaos. But with the people's help, magic was driven from the realm. So I declare a festival to celebrate 20 years since the Great Dragon was captured and Camelot freed from the evil of sorcery. Let the celebrations begin."

The people in the courtyard began to leave. Meghan let go of Merlin to look at the King. "How can he execute a man one minute then call for a festival the next?" she asked in disbelief.

Merlin didn't answer as someone in the crowd began to wail with grief. The sound cut through Meghan with sadness. They turned to see an old lady was the one crying out.

"There is only one evil in this land and it is not magic. It is you." The old lady took a few steps forward as the crowd around her backed away. "With your hatred and your ignorance...you took my son! But I promise you, before these celebrations are over, you'll share my tears. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a son for a son!"

"Seize her!"

Knights rushed forward but before they could lay a hand on her, she had clutched a stone on her necklace and cried an enchantment. Wind blew through the courtyard and within a matter of seconds, the old lady had vanished from sight.

"That was horrible," Meghan said as they began to walk away. She made sure to not look over to where the man's body remained.

"Don't worry," Merlin replied, "that won't happen to us."

Meghan nodded but was unsure. She prayed no one would ever find out about their magic.

Merlin approached two stationary guards. "Uh, where would we find Gaius, the court physician?"

He pointed to the walkway behind them. They said thanks before walking away. After a small flight of stairs, they came to an open door. Merlin knocked tentatively before stepping into the chambers.

"Hello?" Meghan called out as she followed.

The chambers were larger than she expected but was littered was many items. Books lined the walls, tables were scattered with papers, liquid bubbled away under a small fire, herbs were strewn everywhere.

"Hello?" she called out again.

Merlin nudged her and pointed to a staircase that led to a small balcony. An old man, presumably Gaius, was standing with his back to them.

Merlin cleared his throat. "Gaius?"

The man turned to look at them when the balcony suddenly gave way. With a cry he began falling backwards. Without thinking about the consequences, Meghan slowed down time. She watched Merlin's eyes flash to gold briefly as he moved a bed across the room. Time resumed again and Gaius fell onto the bed with a groan.

Meghan smiled momentarily before Gaius leapt from the bed. "What did you just do?"

"Umm..." was Merlin's answer.

Gaius looked at the pair of them. "Tell me!"

Meghan couldn't think of an excuse quick enough. "Well, er...I have no idea what just happened."

"Which one of you was it?" he asked. "If anyone had seen you do that."

"No, that had nothing to do with us!"

Meghan cringed, waiting for his to call the guards to take them away. They hadn't even lasted a day in Camelot!

"I know what it was!" Gaius studied their faces. "I just want to know where you learnt to do it."

Merlin's heart was hammering in his chest. "Nowhere," he insisted.

"So how is it you two know magic?"

"We don't."

"Where did you study?" A moment passed where neither of the siblings answered. "Answer me!"

"We've never studied magic or been taught!" Merlin cried.

"Are you lying to me?"

Merlin quickly shook his head. "What do you want me to say?"

"The truth!"

Meghan had enough. "We were born like this!" she cried as she stepped forward.

Gaius shook his head. "That's impossible!" He seemed to calm down as she surveyed the damage that had been done. He turned back to them with raised eyebrows. "Who are you two?"

"Oh," Meghan pulled her bag from her back and dug around for the letter her mother had given her. "I have this letter." She pulled it out and handed it to the man. He looked at it like it was some foreign object.

"I don't have my glasses."

"I'm Merlin and this is my sister Meghan."

Recognition suddenly dawned on Gaius's face. "Hunith's children?"

"Yes."

His face suddenly went back to confusion. "But you're not meant to be here until Wednesday!"

Meghan frowned. "It is Wednesday."

"Ah...right then." He looked around, as if getting his bearings again after the shock of the fall and their arrival. "You can put your bags in there." He pointed to a small door in the back.

Merlin marched forward but Meghan was still uneasy. "Uh...you won't say anything about...uh," she looked to the broken balcony.

"No," Gaius replied with sincerity.

Meghan smiled at him, assured that, for now, he wouldn't mention their magic to anyone. She began following her brother when Gaius suddenly called their names.

"I should say thank you."

* * *

The siblings began unpacking their few belongings and settling into their new home. The room they shared had two small beds, a table and a chest for them to use to store their clothing but it was enough for them.

They spent the night talking and gazing out of their window at Camelot. The city was beautiful at night.

They were both thankful to have beds to sleep on after their night on the forest floor. They soon fell asleep and night passed. The sun's bright shine glared through their open window, calling them to wake. But it was something else that raised the twins from their slumber. Both siblings thought they heard a deep voice calling their name.

Meghan sat up in her bed as she listened harder, expecting to hear Gaius calling them. But all was silent. She looked over to find Merlin awake too.

"Did you hear something?" she asked.

Merlin nodded and rubbed his eyes. "I thought I did."

After dressing and exiting their room they asked Gaius is he had called them but he replied that he hadn't. They brushed it off as their minds playing tricks but Meghan had a gut feeling that something had been calling them. She just wasn't sure what.

"I got you water," Gaius said, indicating the pail on the table. "You two didn't wash last night."

"Sorry," Meghan said as she sat at the table. It wasn't uncommon for the people in her village to not bathe for a few days as the water they had was mainly used for their crops and for them to drink, so she hadn't even thought about washing last night.

Gaius ladled out what looked like porridge into two bowls. Merlin sat down opposite Meghan as he placed them on the table. "Help yourself to breakfast."

Meghan thanked him before quickly digging in. A moment passed before Gaius suddenly pushed the pail off the end of the table. Once again, without thinking, the siblings threw out their hands and froze the falling pail. The water was suspended in the air.

Gaius's face showed his shock as he glanced from Merlin to Meghan. They realized Gaius had set that up to see if they would show their magic again. They dropped their hands and the water and pail crashed to the floor. They had just made a huge mistake.

"How did you do that?" Gaius asked. "Did you incant a spell in your minds?" Unlike yesterday, he didn't seem angry, only curious.

Merlin shook his head. "We don't know any spells."

"So what did you do? There must be something."

"It just happens."

Gaius looked at them, wondering if he should believe them. He trusted Hunith so he trusted her children. But he had never heard of anyone being born with magic. If what they were saying were true, they would be the most powerful warlocks ever.

Merlin rushed over and grabbed a mop to clean up the spilt water.

"Well, we better keep you two out of trouble then."

Meghan silently thanked the Gods for Gaius keeping their secret. Anyone else would have already called the guards.

"You can help me until I find some paid work for you." Gaius retrieved some small vials and placed them on the table. "Here, hollyhock and feverfew for Lady Percival and this is for Sir Olwen. He's as blind as a weevil so warn him not to take it all at once."

Meghan nodded and took the medicine from him.

"And here." He handed them each a small sandwich. Meghan smiled in gratitude. "And I need hardly tell you that the practice of any form of enchantments will get you killed."

They nodded solemnly before leaving. Merlin let out a breath. "Thank goodness he believes us and didn't hand us to the guards."

"Yes," Meghan said in agreement. They were lucky that Gaius had been accepting but she thought her mother might have explained it in her letter. Gaius must be a kind and trusting man for her to expose their secrets to him.

After wandering the castle for some time, they decided to ask the guards were to find Lady Percival and Sir Olwen. They delivered Sir Olwen's medicine and were leaving the castle to find Lady Percival when their attention was caught by a young blonde man and his friends harassing a servant.

"It's not that bright," the poor boy was saying about the sun.

"A bit like you then," the blonde man said. He seemed to be the leader of the group as his friends behind him laughed.

"I'll put the target at the other end shall I sir?"

The man nodded with a smile. As the servant hurried over to move the target, Meghan studied the tall blonde. He was very attractive but had the attitude of someone who knew that and used it to his advantage. Still, she found herself unable to look away from him. That was until he began throwing knives at the target, which was still being carried by the servant.

"I told you to keep moving," he said before throwing another sword. It was lucky the man had great aim as the target hardly covered the servant and he could have easily been hit. "Come on, run!"

Meghan grabbed onto her brother's hand as she saw him take a step forward. "Merlin, remember what Gaius said. We need to stay out of trouble."

He nodded and Meghan thought he would obey until the servant tripped and the target rolled to their feet. Merlin stopped it with his boot before looking up at the blonde man. "Hey. Come on, that's enough."

"Merlin," Meghan said out of the corner of her mouth.

"What?" the blonde man said.

"You've had your fun, my friend."

Arthur walked towards the man who had defended his servant. At first glance he thought he was standing with another man as they were wearing men's clothes but upon looking at their face, he saw that it was a woman...a very beautiful woman. The first thing he noticed about her was her stunning sea blue eyes. They were staring at him, piercing right through him. Her long dark wavy hair was complimented by the purple tunic she wore. He wondered why she was wearing such clothes. It wasn't against the law for women to wear men's clothing, it was just expected that they would wear dresses. Even though it was such an odd thing, they looked surprisingly good on her. If she looked good in a tunic, he wondered how good she would look in a dress.

"Do I know you?"

Meghan felt a brief fluttering in the pit of her stomach when he looked at her. She had never been too interested in men back in her village but she found herself suddenly drawn to the man. She mentally told herself to forget him. He seemed like a total prat and she could never see herself being with someone like that.

Merlin extended his hand. "I'm Merlin."

The man ignored his outstretched hand. "So I don't know you."

"No."

"Yet you called me friend."

Merlin smiled. "That was my mistake."

The man smiled in return. "Yes, I think so."

"Yeah," Merlin said smugly. "I'd never have a friend who could be such an ass."

Meghan instantly reached out and grabbed his hand. "Time to go Merlin," she said quietly but with force. This was going too far now and she didn't want to see Merlin get hurt if the man decided to start throwing punches.

She began leading him away when the man called out, "or I one that could be so stupid."

They both turned around as he confidently stepped towards them. "Tell me Merlin, do you know how to walk on your knees?"

"No."

"Would you like me to help you?"

Merlin subtly let go of Meghan's hand and pushed her behind him as the man stepped too close for comfort. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Why?" The man laughed as if the idea of Merlin hurting him was hilarious. "What are you gunna do to me?"

By that point in time, Meghan noticed that many people had stopped to watch them.

"You have no idea."

"Be my guest." The man threw out his arms, inviting Merlin to try and hurt him. "Come on. Come on!"

Meghan opened her mouth to tell Merlin to just walk away but it was too late. Merlin tried to throw a punch, only to have the man swiftly grab his arm and twist it around his back. The small crowd around them gasped as the man held Merlin in place by his twisted arm. Meghan wanted to step forward but knew it would make no difference.

"I'll have you thrown in jail for that."

"Who do you think you are?" Merlin asked. "The king?"

"No, I'm his son. Arthur."

The shock instantly registered on Merlin's face as he realized he had just offended the wrong person. Arthur kicked Merlin behind the knees, forcing him to the ground before he called the guards over.

Meghan sighed and rubbed her temples. First day in Camelot and Merlin attacks the prince. Of course.

"Merlin," Meghan said in exasperation.

Her brother looked up at her from the ground. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

She watched as the guards came along and led Merlin away. Meghan knew she shouldn't say anything but she couldn't help herself. "You really are an ass."

Arthur looked back at the beautiful woman. He should have been offended by her remark but, coming from her, he found it oddly funny. Still, many people were still watching them so he had to act angry. "Watch your tongue or you will join your boyfriend in jail."

"He's my brother," she replied before angrily walking away. Before she left, he heard her mutter "ass".

He had to stop himself from laughing. There was just something about her that made her insulting him funny and cute. For some reason he was relieved when she told him that Merlin was her brother.

"Come on Arthur!"

He turned around and rejoined his friends.

* * *

After Meghan was denied entry into the jail to see her brother, she returned to Gaius's chambers to inform him of what happened. She knew he wouldn't be too happy with her brother's actions and she was correct. For 10 minutes Gaius had walked around, ranting about how irresponsible Merlin had been. Meghan had tried to interrupt him a few times but soon learnt that it was best to let him rave and rant.

After he had finished yelling, he left to try and pull some strings to get Merlin released. Meghan spent the afternoon in her new room, trying to give it some personality while trying to distract herself from the fact that her brother was beneath the castle locked away.

Gaius soon returned and informed Meghan that he was able to get Merlin released tomorrow morning, however he would have to spend the day in the stocks. Although Meghan was still concerned about her brother, she laughed at the thought of fruit being thrown at Merlin.

That night Meghan found it hard to sleep, knowing that Merlin wasn't in his bed beside hers. They had never spent a night apart before and Meghan missed the sound of his voice. Finally she fell into a light slumber. Morning came and once again Meghan awoke to the sound of someone calling her name. She looked outside her room but the chambers were empty and no one was beneath her window. Where was this voice coming from? She couldn't be imagining it.

Again she pushed it from her mind and quickly got ready to go give Merlin comfort while people pegged rotten fruit at him. By the time she reached the stocks, Merlin was already covered in fruit. She watched the people throw the fruit at him, some laughing as they did. Meghan wondered how they found it funny. She only did because it was her brother but if it was a complete stranger in his place, she wouldn't find it funny. She gave Merlin a small wave which he returned as much as he could.

Gaius briefly came down but he too laughed before leaving. After a while, the people ran out of fruit and vegetables and ran off to find some more. Meghan was going to take the small break to talk to her brother when someone else approached him. From what Meghan could see, she looked like a servant. She was very beautiful with deep rich skin and dark curly hair. Meghan decided to stand back and let the two talk as they seemed to be getting along. She smiled as she saw both of them laugh at something Merlin said. They talked for a moment longer before the people returned with more fruit. The girl promptly left as they began throwing it at Merlin again.

The hours ticked by and despite Merlin saying she could leave, Meghan stayed by her brothers side. Finally in the afternoon, two guards came along and unlocked the stocks. Merlin stretched his aching muscles when a tomato suddenly hit the back of his head. He turned to see Meghan with more fruit in her hands and a smile on her face.

"I couldn't resist," she said.

Merlin laughed before he bent down and picked up as much fruit as he could. "You'll pay for that!"

He chased after Meghan as she ran away, squealing and trying to dodge the fruit he was throwing.

* * *

Arthur was out in the training field again although today he was alone. He had a dummy set up to practice his sword skills for an upcoming tournament. As prince, he was expected to win all of the tournaments and felt the pressure of the city's people on his shoulders. For hours he would practice to make sure he was as skilled as he could be, as fast and as strong as he could be. At times he loved the training but at others he hated it. Had he not been a prince, he could have been like any other man his age. He wouldn't be worrying about war and becoming a king. While being son of royalty had obvious advantages, it also was a terrible burden. He hated thinking of all the people that relied on him, that looked up to him. Sometimes it felt like the weight of it all would crush him. He wished that sometimes he was just normal. When you're a prince, everyone treats you differently. People are nice to you because they have to be, they give you compliments they don't really mean, they pretend to be your friend while talking behind your back. The truth was that he would give up being prince if he could have one true friend. Someone that liked him for him and not his title.

But it was useless to think like that. He was a prince and nothing was going to change that. He resumed his attack on the dummy with renewed energy.

A high giggle suddenly interrupted his train of thought. He looked over the training yard to see the beautiful girl he had seen yesterday run by. The fool who had insulted him was running after her, throwing fruit. They both had huge smiles on their faces even though they were covered in the fruit. Arthur watched them run by, listening to the girls laughs as she tried to throw her fruit while ducking his. He was suddenly jealous of them. But happy at the same time.

"Would you like me to go stop them sir?" a guard asked.

Arthur smiled as they disappeared into the castle. "No. Let them go."

* * *

"I can still smell you from here!" Meghan teased after Merlin remerged from their bedroom after washing off the fruit and vegetables.

Merlin threw her a sarcastic look. "Funny." He sat at the small table beside her while Gaius served them supper.

"Would you like some vegetables with that?" Gaius asked.

Meghan laughed at his little joke while Merlin gave him the same sarcastic look Meghan had received.

"I know you're still angry with me," he said as Gaius handed him his supper.

"Your mother asked me to look after you two. What did your mother say to you about your _gifts_?"

Meghan answered for Merlin as he had a mouthful of food. "That we were special."

"You are special, the likes of which I have never seen before."

Merlin frowned. "What do you mean?"

Gaius shrugged as he tried to find the words to explain how unusual the pair was. "Well, magic requires spells, incantations. It takes years to study. What I saw you two do was...elemental, instinctive."

Meghan nodded. That was exactly it. It wasn't something they thought about doing, it just happened. It was instinct. "What's the point if it can't be used?"

"That," Gaius answered, "I do not know. You are both a question that has never been posed before."

When Meghan asked if Gaius had ever used magic before, he quickly evaded the question by saying that Uther had banned all such practices 20 years ago. He explained that back then many people had been using magic for evil or personal gain. Uther had destroyed almost everything relating to magic, even the dragons. Only one remained and it was rumoured to be locked up beneath the castle to serve as an example.

Gaius quickly changed the subject and informed Merlin that he was to deliver a preparation to Lady Helen for her voice.

While Merlin went to run the errand, Meghan decided to explore the city. She began walking the streets, weaving through little alleys and looking at all the different people that lived there. She had just turned into the main walkway of the city when she saw the girl Merlin had been talking to earlier carrying a basket of beautiful dresses.

She approached her with a smile. "Hi, I'm Meghan. You were talking to my brother earlier."

The girl look startled for a moment before she realised who Meghan was talking about. "Oh Merlin! Yes. I was just telling him how brave everyone thought he was for standing up to Prince Arthur." She paused before suddenly thrusting out her hand. "I'm Guinevere but everyone calls me Gwen."

Meghan quickly shook her hand and gave her a smile. "It's nice to meet you. Thank you for being so nice to Merlin. We've only just arrived in Camelot and we could both use a friend."

A small boy suddenly ran past the girls yelling, "the prince is fighting the idiot again!"

"I do not have a good feeling about this," Meghan said to Gwen. "Sorry, I've got to go. It was nice to meet you!"

Meghan ran after the boy as dread filled her stomach. Surely Merlin wasn't fighting the prince again? Not after the lecture Gaius had given him this morning?

Sure enough, as Meghan pushed through the crowd of people watching, she saw Merlin fighting with Arthur. They were swinging flails while the crowd gasped. As Meghan watched, Merlin seemed to be winning as Arthur tripped over and fell onto his backside. Merlin suddenly looked around at the crowd gathered and saw his sister among them. His face fell as he realized he had made yet another mistake. A moment passed before Merlin was suddenly hit from behind. Arthur had gotten back up without Merlin realizing. He struck Merlin with a broom and sent him sprawling to the ground.

As two guards rushed forward to lift Merlin up and arrest him again, Arthur's eyes locked with Meghan's. Her hard eyes stared through him, her anger clear.

"Wait," Arthur said as the guards began taking Merlin away. "Let him go. He may be an idiot but he's a brave one. There's something about you Merlin. I can't quite put my finger on it."

Merlin gave him a look before he pushed his way through the crowd to his sister. "Let's go," he said as he grabbed her arm to lead her away.

Meghan stopped. "You go on." Merlin paused before he nodded and left for the castle.

Since the action was over, the crowd had already begun leaving so it was easy for Meghan to find Arthur. To her surprise, he had been walking towards her. They stopped before each other and a moment passed.

"Thank you," Meghan said.

"For what?" Arthur questioned.

"For not arresting him."

He shrugged as if the act didn't mean much. "Like I said, he's an idiot but a brave one. I respect that."

Meghan nodded once before she took the opportunity to leave. Something about the prince made her feel like her whole body was on fire. She had only taken a few steps when his voice called out, "what's your name?"

She looked over her shoulder to answer. "Meghan."

* * *

When Meghan walked into Gaius's chambers, he was already yelling at Merlin for his foolish mistake. From what Meghan heard, it sounded like Merlin had been using magic to win the fight against Arthur. Meghan would normally have defended her brother but she thought he could use a little yelling at. Gaius was right; you couldn't use magic for little pranks, especially not in front of the prince! Meghan couldn't believe he would do such a thing. It was silly and he could have been caught if Arthur or someone in the crowd had noticed.

"What is there to master?" Merlin yelled back at Gaius. "I could move objects before I could talk!"

"Then by now you should know how to control yourself!"

"I don't want to! If I can't use magic, what have I got?" Meghan felt her heart breaking as she watched her brother yell. She knew exactly how he felt. "I'm just a nobody and I always will be. If I can't use magic...I might as well die."

Merlin turned and stalked into their bedroom. With a sigh, Meghan walked over to where Gaius stood. "I'm sorry Gaius," she said, apologizing for Merlin's yells. Gaius was just trying to look out for them and Merlin shouldn't have yelled at him. "It's just really difficult trying to hide such a huge part of yourself."

Gaius nodded but he couldn't really understand what the twins were going through. He knew it must be tough hiding yourself and your talents away from the world, knowing that if you showed who you truly are, you would be put to death. He only wanted to protect the siblings and make sure that never happened to them.

"Do you know why we were born like this?" she asked as Gaius starting walking around and fetching vials.

"I'm afraid I do not Meghan."

She sighed and sat down on a stool, watching as Gaius began mixing herbs and liquids in a bowl. "We're not monsters, are we?"

Gaius stopped mixing to stare at her with intensity. "Don't ever think that."

"Then why are we like this? Please...we need to know why."

He sighed as he poured his mixture into a small glass vial. "Maybe there is someone with more knowledge than me."

Meghan would like to believe that but if Gaius had no idea why they were born like this, then nobody else would know.

"Here." Gaius handed Meghan some cloth, the vial of medicine he had just made as well as another full of brown liquid. "Dab this on his wounds and get him to take this. It will help with his pain."

Meghan nodded as she took the items. "Thank you Gaius."

* * *

"I won't lecture you like Gaius," Meghan said as she dabbed the medicine Gaius had given her onto the wounds on her brothers back.

"Thank you."

"But you do know it was stupid to attack him again."

Merlin groaned. "I know."

Meghan decided it was time to change the subject as she handed Merlin the liquid to drink. "Did you deliver the preparation to Lady Helen?"

"Yes, but..."

Meghan, finished tending Merlin's wounds, moved over to her own bed. She stared at her brother's face and saw something was worrying him. "What is it?"

"I don't know. When I was in Lady Helen's chambers, I saw this weird doll made out of straw and a book that looked like a spell book."

"Do you think she's a witch?"

He shrugged. "I don't know."

"Get some rest," Meghan said, not wanting to see her brother worry.

Merlin nodded. He grabbed one of his old tunics and slipped it on carefully over his wounds before lying on his stomach on his bed. After a while, his breaths evened out as he fell into a slumber. Meghan watched her brother sleep. She loved her brother more than she could say and hated seeing him hurt. She wanted nothing but the best life for him but knew that with their secrets, that would never happen.

The sun quickly set and Meghan fell asleep listening to Merlin's soft snores. Her dreams were full of people's screams and children crying. They were calling her name, over and over. She reached out to grab them only for them to disappear. Before she woke, she saw one face loom out of the darkness. Arthurs.

"_Meghan...Meghan..."_

Meghan instantly sat up in her bed, wildly looking around.

"Did you hear it too? Someone saying our names?"

Merlin was awake as well, having heard someone calling his name.

"Yes. What do you think it is?"

"I don't know. Let's go find out."

They quickly put on their boots and grabbed their jackets. After quietly slipping past the sleeping Gaius, the twins quickly walked out to the courtyard.

"_Merlin...Meghan_..."

They looked at each other, knowing that this time they hadn't been imagining the voice.

"This way," Merlin said. He led them through a small corridor and down a flight of stairs. They were momentarily halted when they came across two guards on duty rolling dice. But with a golden flash of their eyes, they sent their dice rolling across the floor and the two guards chasing after them. After lighting a torch, they followed the voice down a long, dark set of stairs until they reached a giant cavern.

"Wow," Meghan said as she stepped out onto the small stone ledge.

The deep voice that had been calling their name suddenly laughed, echoing throughout the large cavern.

"Where are you?" Merlin asked as he waved the torch about but the light didn't reach too far into the dark cave.

Suddenly, wind blew through the cavern before a large creature flew towards them. It took a moment for the twins to register what they were seeing. It couldn't be.

"I'm here," the dragon said as he sat upon a rock near the twins.

Meghan's jaw dropped as she took in the huge dragon. Gaius had said it was rumoured for a dragon to be beneath the castle but it was actually true! She looked at his huge wings, long talons and sharp teeth but oddly did not feel afraid.

"How small you two are for such a great destiny," the dragon said as he looked at the pair.

When he spoke, Meghan knew it had been his voice that had been calling out to them for days. But why? What did he want from them?

"Why? What do you mean?" Merlin asked. "What destiny?"

"Your gifts were given to you for a reason."

Meghan felt a huge relief flow through her body. So there was a reason they were like this. What?

"So there is a reason?"

The dragon smiled, if dragons could smile. "Arthur is the one and future King who will unite the land of Albion."

They were both confused as to what Arthur had to do with their destiny. "Right?"

"But he faces many threats from friend and foe alike."

Meghan shook her head. "But what does that have to do with us?"

"Everything! Without you two, Arthur will never succeed. Without your help, there will be no Albion."

Merlin seemed to be freaking out a little as he violently shook his head. "No, no you've got this wrong."

"There is no right or wrong. Only what is and what isn't."

"I'm serious! If anyone wants to kill him they can go ahead! In fact, I'll give them a hand."

Meghan knew Merlin didn't mean that. He was still bruised from yesterdays fight and angry at the prince for damaging his pride.

The dragon laughed like that thought amused him. "None of us can choose our destiny young ones. And none of us can escape it."

Meghan might have been imagining it but she swore the dragon stared at her while he spoke about escaping destiny.

"No. No way. No. There must be another Arthur because this one is an idiot."

"Perhaps it's your destiny to change that." Once again, Meghan thought the dragons gaze rested on her when he spoke. Why? Would she be the person who would change Arthur? No.

The dragon suddenly stretched out his wings and took off in flight. "Wait!" Merlin yelled. But it was too late. The dragon had flown up into the darkness of the cavern. Soon the only thing that could be heard was the clinking of the long chain that was around the dragon's foot.

The siblings stood in silence for a few moments before they left the cavern.

"Do you think he was telling the truth?" Meghan asked as they quickly slipped past the guards again and walked back to Gaius's chambers.

"Yes. But it seems too unbelievable. We are going to help that pompous prat?"

Meghan shook her head. What the dragon said did seem unbelievable but she too didn't believe he was lying. So that meant it really was their destiny to protect Prince Arthur and guide him when he became King. That was the reason for their magic? They were going to watch over a Prince who would kill them if he knew of their true nature. Meghan wanted to laugh at how ridiculous it all sounded. They would have to guard their secret with their lives. The Prince could never find out about them.

* * *

"Look at the state of this room!"

Meghan groaned as Gaius's loud voice pulled her from sleep. She was tired from their little adventure last night and her body begged for sleep. But she wasn't destined to get it as Gaius began throwing clothes onto their beds.

"It just happens," Merlin said innocently. He had never been able to keep his room clean back home in Ealdor and it seemed the pattern would continue in Camelot.

"By magic?"

"Yeah."

Gaius threw a boot onto his bed. "Well you can clear it up without magic. Then I want you to fetch me some herbs. Henbane, wormwood and sorrel. And deliver this to Morgana. Poor girl's suffering from nightmares."

Despite most of mess being Merlins, Meghan helped her brother clean the room before they left to find Lady Morgana. They found the royal wing of the castle easily enough but there were so many corridors and doors that they soon found themselves lost. They had just walked past a set of double wooden doors when they swung open.

"Meghan."

Both of them turned around to see Prince Arthur striding out. Meghan tried to gather her thoughts but all she could think about was how nice he said her name. But then she reminded herself of how mean the prince had been to his servant and her smile vanished.

"What are you doing?" he asked as he stood before her.

Merlin, standing behind Meghan, opened his mouth to no doubt make a smart remark but Meghan spoke before he could. "We were just looking for Lady Morgana's chambers. We have a potion Gaius asked us to deliver."

"Oh. It's around the corner, last door on the right."

Seconds ticked by as nobody spoke. Arthur was looking at Merlin, wondering if the idiot would get the hint that he should leave. Meghan, having caught on to what Arthur wanted, looked over her shoulder at her brother and indicated with her head that he should go and deliver the potion. After a pause of hesitation, he left but not before sending Arthur a warning look.

Meghan turned back to Arthur, wondering what he wanted with her. Part of her wanted to smile at the Prince but another part of her kept yelling in her head what a prat he was.

"Will you be attending the feast tonight?" he asked.

"Oh I expect so. I think Gaius wanted us to be there." Meghan had never been to a feast before so she was slightly excited to be invited to one.

Arthur nodded like this information pleased him. An awkward silence filled the air as neither spoke. Even if he was an ass, Meghan found it oddly exciting to be in the presence of the Prince. When she had thought about her move to Camelot, she had never thought she would even see the King or Prince, let alone be talking to him. Yet this was the third time she had run into the man.

"Uh, I better go." Meghan indicated to the corridor behind her where Merlin had gone.

Arthur looked like he had just snapped himself out of a trance. "Of course."

She flashed him a smile before disappearing around the corner.

Arthur watched her leave as he listened to the rapid pace of his heart. He had no idea what it was about that girl that made him so nervous. Normally he was as smooth as silk around girls but when she was around, his stomach suddenly starting twisting and his whole body felt on fire. Her smile had almost stolen his breath. His thoughts shouldn't be about her since she was a common girl and not one he should be seen with. But he couldn't help it.

He found himself looking forward to the feast tonight.

* * *

Meghan walked down the corridor, lost in her thoughts.

Merlin suddenly ran out of a room with a flushed face.

"What's wrong?"

"Uh," Merlin looked back into the room before shaking in head. "Nothing. What did Arthur want?"

"Oh. He just wanted to know if we were going to the ball tonight."

Merlin narrowed his eyes in suspicion as they walked down the corridor. "He's an idiot."

"Yes but he's a royal one so you have to pretend to like him. Now let's go get these herbs for Gaius."

* * *

After fetching the herbs for Gaius, the siblings had to get ready for the feast. For Merlin, that was easy. All he had to do was wash and change clothes but Meghan had a decision to make. She had never been to a feast before but she did know that it was a formal event and all the women wore their fanciest dresses. She was most comfortable in her tunic and trousers but she decided that it would be best if she didn't draw attention to herself and that meant wearing a dress.

She pulled out the only dress she owned. She had only been given it months before from her mother as an eighteenth birthday present. Her mother had saved for years and walked for days to one of the best dress makers in the land to get this dress. She still felt guilty over the present, thinking that her mother should have used the money for something else but it had made her happy to see her only daughter owning such a beautiful item.

After a wash, she braided her hair and coiled it on the top of her head while letting a few loose tendrils frame her face. She delicately lifted the dress and carefully put it on, afraid of tearing the soft material. The dress was long enough to conceal the fact that the only pair of shoes she owned was her old boots.

She took one look in the mirror and decided she looked enough like a proper young woman to not stand out at the feast. She left her room to meet Merlin and Gaius.

As she stepped into the chamber, the two men stopped talking to look at her.

"What?" she asked, looking down at her dress, afraid something was wrong with it.

Merlin, with wide eyes, said, "I've never seen you in a dress before."

"You look beautiful," Gaius said with a smile.

"Thank you."

She looked down at her dress again. It was a deep, rich purple colour with delicate lace sleeves that flared around her wrists and a full, floor length skirt that had tiny fake jewels sewn into it. Even though she had never been a fan of dresses, she really liked how it looked on her.

After Merlin had gotten over the shock of seeing his sister in a dress, they left for the large chambers which Gaius told them were used for feasts and balls. As they approached the chambers, the sound of light music could be heard and laughter rang out. They passed two sets of guards who each nodded towards Gaius, who returned the nod.

As they entered the chamber, Meghan knew she had made the right decision to wear a dress. The room was full a beautiful women, all dressed to perfection. A few people greeted Gaius as they moved through the room. Merlin and Meghan, having never been to an event such as this, were in awe as they took in the decorations and the food that was piled high upon the tables. They were unsure as what to do so they stood off to the side and watched as all the noblemen and women talked.

Arthur was standing in the centre of the room, talking and joking with a few of the knights. One of the men suddenly hit him on the shoulder and nodded across the room. "Look at her!"

He looked across the room to see Morgana entering. She looked wonderful in a blood red gown and as usual, many of the men in the room stopped to stare. But Arthur's gaze was drawn to someone else. He spotted her in the corner of the room with her idiot brother.

"God have mercy."

He had never seen a more beautiful woman. She looked stunning in a purple gown with tiny jewels that sparkled when she moved. Even from across the room he could see the sparkle in her eyes. Anyone could have easily mistaken her for royalty.

"I think someone is staring at you," Merlin whispered into his sister's ear.

Meghan frowned as she looked up at her brother. He indicated with his head to the centre of the room. She looked around before finally connecting eyes with Arthur. He was the one staring at her. She blushed furiously under the scrutiny of his gaze. As she watched, he excused himself and left his group of friends. She took a deep breath and walked towards him. She watched his eyes travel over her, taking everything in from the top of her head to the tip of her toes.

"Hi," she said.

"You're wearing a dress," the prince pointed out.

Meghan laughed as she smoothed down the skirt of her dress. "Yes, I thought it would be appropriate."

Arthur stared straight down into her blue eyes. "You look beautiful."

Her blush increased. "Thank you. Although, it's hard to look beautiful when you're in the same room as Morgana," she said as she watched her own brother stare as the dazzling ward walked past him.

"You do," he said with complete sincerity.

She smiled at his compliment but she had never thought of herself as beautiful. "Do you have balls and feasts often?"

"Yes," he answered. "It seems like every week there is something to celebrate with a feast."

She laughed before noticing that many people were staring at them, including Lady Morgana. She was beginning to feel nervous with so many people looking at her when horns began blaring through the chambers.

"Well, I've got to-"

"Of course," she said instantly. "Thank you for your compliments. But you're still an ass."

He laughed at her before leaving to take his place at the royal table. Meghan weaved through the people all rushing to stand by the tables. She was wondering why they were doing that when the King walked down the aisle to stand before the royal table.

She quickly rushed to the corner where Merlin was standing, while Gaius had a seat at one of the tables.

"We have enjoyed 20 years of peace and prosperity," the King said as he stood before the small crowd of people. "It has brought the kingdom and myself many pleasures. But few can compare with the honour of introducing Lady Helen of Mora."

Everyone began clapping as the King took his seat. The people followed and sat down to watch as Lady Helen entered the chamber and stood upon a small platform at the opposite end of the room.

"I thought these things would be a bit more interesting," Merlin whispered into Meghan's ear.

She smiled before whispering back, "me too."

The chamber was completely silent for a moment before Lady Helen began signing. She truly had a spectacular voice. Everyone was in awe as her voice echoed through the room, sending chills down their spines.

Lady Helen stepped down from the platform as she sung and began slowly walking down the centre aisle.

Meghan briefly looked away from her to look at Arthur only to see that his head was drooping and his eyes closed. Confused, she looked around the room to see almost everyone was falling into a slumber.

"Cover your ears," Merlin said.

She quickly did so, blocking out the voice of Lady Helen.

Everyone in the room was sound asleep. Lady Helen must have enchanted her voice so that when people heard it, they fell asleep.

She was continuing to walk up the aisle. As she passed by the people, cobwebs began forming on their still bodies and the candles blew out until the only light was from the moon shining through the windows. Lady Helen's eyes were solely fixated on Prince Arthur. A sick feeling spread through Meghan as she wondered what she should do.

Lady Helen suddenly withdrew a dagger from the sleeve of her dress and took aim at Prince Arthur.

"No!" Meghan cried. Without thinking, her eyes found the large chandelier handing from the ceiling. She focused her energy onto it and with nothing but a thought, the chain snapped, sending it crashing onto Lady Helen. She fell to the ground with it on top of her, where she laid so still Meghan couldn't tell if she was simply unconscious or dead.

The instant Lady Helen had stopped signing, the enchantment wore off. People began waking, confused as to why the chamber was dark and they were covered in cobwebs. The King stood up and looked down at Lady Helen...who was no longer Lady Helen. Meghan gasped as she realized the person now lying underneath the chandelier was the old woman from the courtyard who had threatened to kill Uther's son.

Arthur stood up from his chair to stare down at the old lady. She suddenly lifted her head from the ground to stare at the Prince. While the crowd gasped and cried out, she managed to pick up her fallen dagger and gain enough strength to throw it towards Prince Arthur.

Fear seized at Meghan's heart. Without even telling each other, the twins both slowed down time and ran towards the prince. Meghan clutched the top of his arm while Merlin grabbed his wrist. With their combined strength, they managed to pull him out of the path of the dagger just in time.

The three of them fell to the ground as the dagger embedded itself in Arthur's chair. No one spoke as they staggered to their feet. Arthur was staring at the dagger in shock, realizing just how close to death he had come. He then looked around to see who had saved him. His eyes widened in shock when he saw it was Meghan and her brother.

"You saved my boy's life," the King said as he pulled his son close. "A debt must be repaid."

"Oh...well..."Merlin said, nervous being addressed by the King.

"Don't be so modest. You two shall be rewarded."

Meghan shook her head as she avoided the Kings eyes. "No, honestly, you don't have to your Highness."

But the King was adamant that they should be rewarded. "No, absolutely. This merits something quite special. You shall be awarded a position in the royal household. You shall be Prince Arthur's manservant and maidservant."

"Father?!" Arthur cried.

The people broke into applause as they hailed the twins. Arthur didn't look happy about the new appointment but Meghan gathered that was due to his past with Merlin. Merlin didn't exactly looked thrilled at the idea of his new job. But Meghan was already excited. They had been looking for a job and one had just been handed to them. And working for Prince Arthur couldn't be too bad, right?

* * *

Once everyone had gotten over the shock of an attempted assassination in front of them, they had quickly left, with the feast being cancelled. Meghan and Merlin received many pats on the back and congratulations before they escaped back to Gaius's chambers. Meghan quickly changed out of the dress into her favourite red tunic and loose pants.

She was sitting at the small table in the corner of the room when Merlin entered and sat opposite her. "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking that I just killed a woman." Meghan realized that if their destiny was to protect Prince Arthur, a few casualties were going to happen. She just hadn't been ready for it to happen so soon.

Merlin reached across the table to squeeze her hand. "But you saved a life."

A knock suddenly echoed through the room. A moment later Gaius entered carrying something covered in a red cloth. "Seems like you two are heroes."

Merlin chuckled. "Hard to believe isn't it."

"No," Gaius said. "I knew it from the moment I met you two. You saved my life, remember?"

Meghan frowned. "But...that was magic."

Gaius nodded with a smile. "And now it seems like we've finally found a use for it."

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked.

"I saw how you two saved Arthur's life. Perhaps that's its purpose."

Merlin sighed as he remembered the words of the Great Dragon. "Our destiny."

"Indeed." Gaius slowly sat down on the end of the nearest bed. "This book was given to me when I was your age. But I have a feeling it will be of more use to you two than it was for me." He unwrapped the cloth from around the book and quickly opened it to show them. They only needed a quickly glance to see what it was.

"This is a book of magic!" Meghan exclaimed as she thumbed through the pages. There was so much in the book from enchantments to potions and everything in between.

"Which is why you must keep it hidden."

"We will study every word," Merlin said with a huge grin on his face. It was amazing! Finally they would get to study magic.

Another knock rang out through the chambers. A man called out for them. "Merlin, Meghan. Prince Arthur wants you right away."

Gaius smiled as he looked back at the twins. "Your destiny is calling. You'd better go find out what he wants."

They smiled at Gaius before quickly leaving to go find Arthur.

"Our destiny begins."

* * *

**Please R&R!**


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